Brake-operating mechanism.



N. KROHN.

BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1915.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 0., WASHINGTON, D r.

TA ETe FATENT NELS KROHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS &WESTLAKE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed July 19, 1915. Serial No. 40,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nnns KRoHN, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-OperatingMechanism, of wh ch the following is a specification, and which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to the hand operating mechanism of car brakes ofthe type in which there is provided a friction band cooperating with adrum on the brake staff, and a handle for tightening the band upon thedrum.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved means, actuated bythe dropping of the handle. for locking the band in release position andfor holding the handle against advancing movement.

The invention consists of a device such as is hereinafter described, andas illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows adetail plan View of the operating mechanism; Fig. 2 is a detail sideelevation thereof; and Fig. 3 a detail sectional view on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1.

A brake staff of ordinary construction is shown at 10, the chain leadingfrom the staff to the brake being represented at 11. The staff isjournaled in a floor plate 12 and a Wall bracket 13 adapted forattachment to a portion of the car, the journal box being shown at 14. Aholding ratchet 15 is shown as being mounted on the staff near its upperend, and the pawl cooperating with this ratchet is shown at 16 and asbeing pivotally attached to the bracket 13 and provided with a handle17. While this form of holding device is preferred, the operatingmechanism may be employed in connection with the more common form offoot-controlled holding means. A drum 18 is fixed upon the upper end ofthe staff, and is encircled by a spring band 19 normally loose withreference to the drum. The ends of the band 19 are pivotally attached toa handle head 20, as indicated at 21, 22. The handle 23 is pivotallyattached to the head 20, as shown at 24:, so as to swing toward and awayfrom the staff. The pivots 21, 22, being relatively at differentdistances from the axis of the staff, the initial movement of the handle28 in the direction for winding up the brake clamps the band tightlyabout the drum, while its movement in the reverse direction loosens theband and permits the handle to swing back freely.

In order to provide for the gradual release of the brake in the actionknown in railroad service as nursing, means are provided whereby thehandle may be moved in the direction for winding up the brake withoutclamping the band to the drum. As shown, this means comprises a lever25, pivoted to the head 20 and having a nose 26 which may bear againstthe band 19 or against a cap 27 mounted upon the top end of the staffand covering the drum and band. The outer end 28 of the lever 25projects into the path of the handle as it is folded toward the staff,and has an oblique face 29 whereby a cam action upon the lever issecured to rock it on its pivot and throw it against the band or cap, orboth of them, and preventing any lateral movement of the handle in adirection to wind up the brake other than about the axis of the staff.This action upon the lever 25 occurs before the handle reaches the limitof its downward movement, and when in this position the handle may befreely oscillated about the staff. In nursing. therefore, should thebrake be set up too tight to permit the car to travel the desireddistance, it may be partially released with the handle held in operativeand advanced position, the holding pawl being retracted and the handleallowed to recede to the limit of its backward stroke, and if stillfurther release is required the holding pawl is engaged with the ratchet15, the handle is lowered sufliciently to advance the nose of the lever25 and, being held in that position, is swung forwardly and raised tosecure a new grip upon the drum.

In order to prevent the oscillation of the handle when the brake isfully released and the handle is pendent, it is provided with a finger30 adapted to enter between teeth of a stationary ratchet 31.

Various modifications of the structure may be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention, which is intended 'pendently to includeany means for preventing the tightening of the band upon the drum as thehandle is oscillated.

I claim as my invention I 1. In brake actuating mechanism, incombination, a stall, a drum fixed on the stafi, a flexible bandencircling the drum, a handle to which the ends of the band areindependently attached, whereby lateral movement of the handle in onedirection tightens the band upon the drum, and means controllable by theoperator for preventing such tightening action.

2. In brake actuating mechanism, in combination, a staff, a drum fixedon the staff, a flexible band encircling the drum, a handle to which theends of the band are indeattached, whereby lateral movement of thehandle in one direction tightens the band upon the drum, and meansactuated by the folding movement of the handle for preventing suchtightening action.

3. In'brake'actuating mechanism, in combination, a stalf, a drum fixedon the staff,

a flexible band encircling the drum, a'handle head to which the ends ofthe band are independently attached, whereby lateral move ment of thehead in one direction tightens the band upon the drum,a handlebarpivotally attached to the head for movement toward the stafi, a leverpivotally mounted on the head and having one end engageable with anabutment and its" opposite end engageable by the handle bar as it movestoward the stafi.

l. In brake actuating mechanism, in combination, a staff, a drum fixedon the staff,

with an abutment and its opposite end adapted for cam engagement by thehandle bar as it'moves toward the staff.

5. In brake actuating mechanism, in corn-- blnatlon, a stafi, a drophandle osclllatable about the axls of: the stali, means for connectingthe handle with the staff, a fixed element, and a finger for locking thehandle to the fixed element,-such finger being carriedby one of suchpartsa-nd adapted to enter a recess the other of such parts when thehandle iS'iIl its lowered position.

I 'NEL'S KROHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Conimissionfof Patents, Washington, D. G.

